Ever ask yourself the question: How should I pray?  Here is but one example among many.  There are the prayers written by 8th grader Cameron Wagner to share with the congregation the day he confirmed his faith along with our other 8th graders in worship.

Please bow your heads with me in prayer…

·     God you are our protector, friend and loving creator, we thank you for this.

·     Thank you for having a relationship with us, listening to all of our prayers and for our blessings and health.

·     Thank you for all of our mentors, our friends and families and for the many people you put into our lives.

·     We ask that you please give us the strength to spread our faith, and to be loving to people we are around each day.

·     As we go out of here today, please keep us away from the Devil’s grasp and from our daily temptations.

·     Thank you for always forgiving us for our many mistakes

·     Lastly, protect our 8^th grade group as we proceed through our high school years and help our faith to grow.

·     In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

How the Bible has impacted my life: Bonnie Centers

Submitted by Bonnie Centers, responding to the statement: "How the Bible has impacted my life."

Many years ago I didn’t feel I knew enough of the Bible and felt like a Christian hypocrite.   I knew I was a “good” person, but for some reason that wasn’t good enough.  I couldn’t justify my faith.  The Holy Spirit must have been in me because I knew I needed to change.  I took a two year Crossways class but having a young child at home, I didn’t put enough effort into the whole Bible narrative.  Don’t get me wrong, I learned the basics and received a sense of awe of our mighty Lord.  I knew I didn’t do justice to that Bible class so a couple years ago I thought I’d give it another try with Bethel, another two year course.  This time, I was able to keep myself accountable to all the reading involved.  By no means did I complete all the requirements of this course, but I gained tremendously by reading and attending every week.  This time, I began to understand what God had done and is still doing.  I have new meanings for love, compassion, forgiveness and praise.  My ultimate respect and love for our Lord grew and now realize my next step is to work on a deeper relationship with Him.

A Ministry of Prayer

Submitted by Rachelle Moreno who spent two weeks in Thailand with the Sending Place this past Winter.

         Going on a short-term mission trip is always frightening and fulfilling at the same time; there are so many unknowns that lie ahead on the journey. But isn't that true of life? Doing ministry in Thailand or here in Stockton or any other town it doesn’t matter.  We all have plans and agendas for our day, but are the God’s plans or ours? I've learned through this trip that we need to eagerly seek GODS plan through prayer.

         When we left for our trip generally we had a full agenda. We had our bible lessons prepared with all the crafts for the lesson ready. We had our devotions and daily activities all routed out.  But then we got to Thailand we realized GOD has a different agenda!!!  As we began to go through our planned itinerary we quickly saw our ministry transform into much more than teaching Bible lessons and giving devotions. Our trip turned into a ministry of prayer.

         We were welcomed to a school to teach bible lessons and the Principal and his wife were so warm, loving, and welcoming to us. We just assumed they were Christian. As they sat and ate lunch with us we learned that they were not believers. We asked if they would mind if we prayed with them that God would reveal himself and they quickly accepted. I wish I could say that they were instantly converted but I can say seeds were sown in their hearts. Another day we had planned a drive to a village but our host had asked that we go to a home and pray with a family. The father was addicted to alcohol. It was affecting his 2 older sons and he felt pressure from his friends to continue drinking and it was tearing his family apart. As we sat in their bamboo hut, we prayed with this family.

         After we sat talking with them and shared tea. I shared with our translator my own struggle with drugs and alcohol and how I had to break away from friendships to stay sober for my own well being. It was not a coincidence, our being there that day.  God was calling us to where he was already working in people’s live. I could relate to the struggles and the pain that family was experiencing. I left their home in tears and our translator who was also our driver was impacted by the experience as well. He wondered why I cried for them. Again, seeds were planted with him.

         I learned throughout our time that we needed to really listen to GOD and to the people to know how to help. We ended up being invited into several homes to pray with families.  When we would meet with the families we would listen to their needs.  Depending upon the situation we would pick up our Bibles to see how God’s Word spoke to the situation. It was so important to listen to the needs of those we prayed with to know how GOD would work through us

         Our host Siami whom lives her life to do this ministry in Thailand constantly seeks GOD through prayer. It was very encouraging and important to see the power of prayer through her ministry. It got me to thinking about one of the most loving things we can do for a person is to simply pray with them. I know for myself, the feeling that I get is so overwhelmingly grateful when someone takes time to pray with me. It's a very powerful thing.

         One of the things I have learned in returning to Stockton is that it doesn't matter if you’re in Thailand, Stockton, Lodi or Tracy, we need to listen first if we are going to speak Gods word into people's lives.  We all need to be reminded that we must first seek GOD and he will lead us and direct our paths to where he is ALREADY working. 

“But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you.

O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.  

I have called you by name; you are mine.”

- Isaiah 43:1

“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God…Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, 

which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

 – Colossians 3:3, 9-10

Take a few moments and ask yourself the question: “Who am I?”  What comes to mind?

Perhaps your first thoughts are of being a parent, being a woman or a man… 

Perhaps you first thoughts are of what you do for a living…

Perhaps your first thoughts are of being a believer in Jesus Christ…

Perhaps you first answered the question by considering what you are not…

There are many things in our lives that define who we are.  Just think about the demographic information that the US Census bureau publishes.  

We can be defined by our age: 5, 13, 17, 21, 35, 47, 55, 65, 82, 90.  

We can be defined by our ethnicity: White, Black, Latino, Native American, Cambodian, Japaneese, Eskimo.  

We can be defined by our sex: Male, female.  

We can be defined by our marital status: Married, separated, divorced, single, widow, widower.  

We can be defined by our level of education: High school diploma, GED, Bachelors, Masters, Certification, PhD.  

We can be defined by the state of our health: Good, poor, fair, failing, chronic illness.  

We can be defined by our employment status: Employed, Unemployed, Retired.  

We can be defined by our parental status: Mother, Father, legal guardian, foster parent, Grandparent, Great-grandparent.  

We can answer the question “Who am I?” in many ways and throughout our lives the first response that comes to mind isn’t always the same. The newly married, or new parents are beginning to understand who they are in light of daily living their lives beside someone else. The recent graduate defines who they are and where they are going differently than when they attended their first class. The newly employed, recently let-go and recently retired are all staring down the day to come, trying to understand themselves in light of their new employment status.

 By being believer’s in Christ, in His death and resurrection, we have been made children of God; our identity, at its very core, is as a beloved child of God – we are one of his very own.  No matter if we are a man, woman, a husband, wife, or widower; a single parent, legal guardian, or grandparent; a student, manager, sales clerk, doctor, or mechanic; financially secure or living in poverty; depressed or anxious.  At our very core we are beloved children of God.

When the world around us changes; when that which can define us changes: we get sick, our health fails, our children move out, we are forced into retirement or loose a job, we loose a loved one, who we are in Christ does not change.  There is nothing we can do nor nothing that can be done to us that can take it away from us.  When we no longer feel valuable to the world around us or to the people in our lives, because we feel that we are not young enough, strong enough, intelligent enough, skilled and educated enough, we can take comfort in knowing that our value in God’s eyes does not change. God wants you.  He wants me.  He wants all of us as we are, that is, living in a constant state of being made new in Him.  We need not try to be something or someone we are not when we come before Him because we think it is what he wants; we need not think we are only valuable to him if we are pious and disciplined, charismatic and outgoing, knowledgeable and wise.

God has gifted each of us with gifts, talents, skills and opportunities so that we might honor and praise his name.  But our value in God’s eyes does is not dependent upon those blessings.  Success in the eyes of the world, what the world considers valuable and even how we determine whether or not we or someone else is valuable, is not the way God defines our success or determines our value.  When we can no longer sing or play, write or speak; when we can no longer work, carry, walk, or run. We are still children of God, we are still valuable to God. 

When we hear Jesus calling, “Follow me”, it is hard to believe He is talking to us; it is hard to believe that he wants us to be his hands and feet to the people around us.  It is hard not to try and change how we present ourselves to God and to the world around us.  After all, wouldn’t God prefer someone who has life a little bit more together?  Someone who doesn’t get angry; Someone who doesn’t gossip and lie; Someone who hasn’t made mistakes and isn’t broken; Someone who can walk, see, or speak eloquently.

But Jesus calls to us.  God calls us children, redeemed and restored.  It is here that our value lies.  When he calls us, we don’t need to hide behind masks of who we think God wants us to be.  We don’t need to hide behind achievements or past failings.  

We don’t need to rely on our own gifts and talents to be his hands and feet.  When he calls us to join him in the places where he is already working we only need to know that we are children of God, redeemed and loved. That is our message - that is what we are called to share in many and various ways.

We are all constantly being made new.  We have died; our lives are hidden in Christ with God.  He has redeemed us, called us by name.  We are His and He is ours.  He wants you.  He wants me.  He wants us.

The Unseen Line

Written and submitted by Cathy Pauley.

Since I am working in Kentucky for three Sundays, I felt it was important to find a LCMS church where I could worship, enjoy a Bible study and have fellowship. It has been a long time since I was a "visitor" in a church so I was a little nervous how I would "fit" in.  I picked Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Elizabethtown, Ky.  

It was interesting in my faith walk to feel and see what a visitor may see and feel when they visit our own church. I usually am pretty confident and semi-outgoing, but I was a visitor. I shook hands and took my place in the same location I would at St. Andrews. I opened the worship bulletin to study what the service would be. I marked the first hymn in the hymnal. However, I was still a visitor. I stuck out as a visitor. I was a stranger amidst the members. Nevertheless, a LCMS church is still a LCMS church. The order of worship was similar. Hymns were familiar. Reading Scripture was familiar. The message was on track. Then there was communion. I should have realized that most LCMS churches practice closed communion and as a visitor, there is a chance the pastor will want to speak to me ahead of time. I miscalculated that requirement. I read and re-read the communion card and worship bulletin to make sure as a standing member in the LCMS church I was exempt from speaking to the pastor or an elder.  I sat in my seat while all the parishioners went up to take the Lord's Supper. There was a quick moment of awkwardness, as the members in my pew had to decide how to go around me.

In that moment, I had an "ahh-haa" moment. Do visitors at our church struggle or feel embarrassed for any reason?  I hope I will be a better friend to people who are guests in our church. I am thankful that our church allows members of the LCMS and those who are in fellowship to commune with us.

In the end, it was all a blessing. I knew it was about worshipping God, not about my comfort. I was flooded with people introducing themselves at the end of service (even without prompting from the pastor). I told the pastor I would call him this week. I attended adult Sunday school and was invited to LWML Spring Workshop on Saturday.

I left with the knowledge that next Sunday I will not be a visitor, I will be family.

Blessed Lenten season,

Cathy

Living Faith in Thailand

Our post today is written by Cathy Pauley, a member of our church who recently traveled to Thailand with The Sending Place (a short-term missions sending organization).

Cathy writes:

I have enjoyed watching members at St. Andrews Lutheran Church embrace
relationships. Building relationships and connecting to the community have
been mission themes for more than a year. Rachelle, Marjorie and I
experienced the same when we went to Thailand Feb. 5-18.

The Sending Place sends short-term missionaries to many countries. In my
experience, certain countries are more relationship-eccentric than other
countries. Thailand is definitely one of those countries.

TSP missionaries started forming relationships several years ago, and this
year I really felt connected to the villages, and to Musikee Center -
headquarters of Handclasp, our sponsor, and home to our hosts, Don and Kay
Fox.

We lived at Musikee, where the students and staff of this village inside a
village live. The students attend devotions every night, and they start
their school day in prayer every school day. They also attend weekly worship
service either in their community hall or at a village church. These
students are Christians fairly new to their faith in most cases, but mature
in Spirit. They seemed to connect to the devotions that our team led almost
every night we were there.

Praying with families, staff and individuals in the villages helped us
connect and build relationships that were as much a blessing to our team as
to those we prayed with, and for. When we prayed with villagers, we each had
a Bible verse specific to their need.

We prayed with a widow, whose husband - a Christian since 1989 - passed
away. We watched the family of that man decorate his casket with crosses! 
We prayed with a Buddhist school principal and his wife for Jesus to
come into their hearts. It was very powerful. We prayed for a man battling
with alcohol abuse. His friends keep encouraging him to drink with them and
he is trying to slay that beast. We prayed with his wife and sons. We prayed

with the adult children of an 86-year-old man who is preparing to go Home
(die). He is a Christian who was strong and healthy until five days prior to

us praying. We also prayed over the siblings and closed with singing
"Amazing Grace." We prayed with a father who is raising three children alone
because his wife walked out. His mother-in-law is mean to him. We prayed for
strength for the father and wisdom for the mother. We then prayed over a

very young mother who is quite ill with symptoms similar to Hepatitis A. She
has three children younger than 5. We also prayed for the father and the

children. We attended a Karen Christian wedding and on our way home, we
stopped at the home of a single mom raising four daughters. Her husband is
in prison for eight years for drug-related charges. We prayed for the mom
and children to find peace and stay strong. They are all at-risk because the
village men know she is alone. We also prayed she would be able to feed her
family. (Musikee staff is praying about taking the family in but it is a lot
to add five more people to their meal roster).

My faith journey in Thailand has made me a better listener and prayer
warrior for my friends and family at home. 

Relationships in our community are vital for the community to overcome the
poverty, despair, gangs and violence; but relationships in communities
across the globe are equally as important. We are co-heirs of Christ, not
just in Stockton but across the world!

Blessings, Cathy

Everlasting Faithfulness

Yesterday I went to the dentist.
You might be wondering how the dentist connects to faith (though for those of you who have not sat in the dentist chair in a while you might not be wondering at all).  Well, let me tell you.

As with in most offices, a local radio station was playing while the office personnel and patients went about their daily business.  I had just asked the dental hygienist whether or not she ever got tired of the same radio station (to which she replied "YES!") that I heard the words "gun shot" and "Kentfield", the final ends to a news update.  I probably wouldn't have even heard the words had I not brought up the radio while trying to make small talk.

I immediately thought of the neighborhood just down the street from my church; a neighborhood community in which we have held various events over the past seven years.  Was this the Kentfield that the DJ was speaking about.

Upon arriving home I went to The Record website to check and sure enough two individuals had been killed in and around the neighborhood at different times two days prior.  I was heartbroken.  I didn't know the individuals who had been killed, had never heard their names, but I was heartbroken for both those who were not dead and those who had killed.  I thought of the people who come to our church from that neighborhood, new friends and beautiful faces who have joined our community of faith.  I prayed for their safety and for the safety of all of the children and adults whose faces rushed through my mind as I thought about our different visits to the park.

Too often, when confronted with the violence and apathy that is so prevalent in our country, Stockton being no exception, we despair thinking that nothing can be done, that there is no hope for change in our lives and in the lives of others.

This is perhaps the hardest part about faith; about hope.  Hope calls us to look at what is right in front of us and see it as God does - something that he has and is redeeming.  Hope calls us to not only see the world around us as something that can be restored and renewed but to believe it to be possible.

Now it isn't possible because of our hard work or anything that we do, because we will grow weary in our work.  It is possible because of the everlasting faithfulness of our God.

Later that evening I pulled out my Bible and rather then taking up in Genesis where I had been reading I opened to Isaiah.  I started in chapter 37 and just read, unsure of what I might be "looking for".  Then I got to the end of chapter 40 and read:

"Why do you say, O Jacob, 

and complain, O Israel,

"My way is hidden from the LORD;

my cause is disregarded by my God"?

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint."

- Isaiah 40:27-31-

It was here that I stopped, thought, and found hope.  God does not tire or grow weary.  He gives each of us strength even though we will fall.  When we put our hope in God we will be able to do far more than if we place our hope in ourselves or in others.

Join me in praying for our community:

Gracious and everlasting Father - 

We thank you for your faithfulness and strength when we feel helpless, hopeless and worn.

Grant the families in the Kentfield neighborhood your mercy and protection.  May those who have been torn down, beaten, broken and in any other way hurt, find comfort in you.  May they find people to hold them up.  We pray for the families of those who have been killed asking for your peace.  We pray for those who have taken the lives of the two individuals.

Lord, we ask that you would be with us in reaching out and holding up this community in our hearts, hands and prayers.

Amen.